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• England captain Stokes backs electric Wood to break 100mph

  Ben Stokes would much rather play alongside Mark Wood than face his England team-mate as he backed the fast bowler to break 100mph soon.

  The Durham quick clocked 97.1mph – the fastest delivery of his Test career – on the speed gun in the second red-ball encounter against the West Indies at Trent Bridge.

  Indeed, none of the 34-year-old's balls registered lower than 90mph during an electrifying opening spell before Wood removed Kevin Sinclair with a vicious delivery on Sunday.

  Sinclair could only fend into the air for a simple dismissal, with the Windies' off-spinner ruled out of the third Test at Edgbaston after that blow fractured his left forearm.

  England captain Stokes believes there is more to come from Wood, which is a worrying warning to the visitors.

  "He's got it in the tank," said Stokes. "He's been close a couple of times. Maybe one day."

  Shoaib Akthar and Shaun Tait are the only Test bowlers to register a delivery at 100mph, with Wood's speed expected to be key for The Ashes in Australia across the end of next year and start of 2026.

  "He seems to be getting closer and closer to that," Stokes added. "But I'm happy with what he's doing right now to be honest.

  "Being able to sustain that pace is quite phenomenal. Look at his average speeds every time he plays a Test match – it's always above 90mph. That says a lot about his fitness.

  "It's all fine and well trying to bowl one spell above 90. But every spell he bowls for England, he's clocking over 90mph, and that's a great thing to have as a captain.

  "I don't know if he's actually too bothered about it. One day, everything might click, or the speed gun might be wrong.

  "We probably wouldn't hear the end of it. Who knows, maybe one day."

  Wood will be expected to unleash his pace once more after Stokes named an unchanged XI for the third and final Test at Edgbaston, where play starts on Friday.

• Stokes confident that opportunities will come for England's fast bowlers

  Ben Stokes has expressed confidence that opportunities for England's fast bowlers will emerge naturally ahead of their final Test against West Indies on Friday. 

  Stokes chose to name an unchanged team that beat West Indies by 241 runs last week ahead of their encounter at Edgbaston. 

  Despite having already secured the series with a 2-0 lead, England have chosen not to include both Durham's Matthew Potts or hand a debut to Dillon Pennington. 

  "At the moment we have stuck with the same team because we don't feel it's necessary to change," said Stokes.

  England's sole adjustment this summer came when James Anderson, who retired after the first Test at Lord's, was replaced by Mark Wood. 

  Since Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum assumed leadership of the England team two years ago, they have aimed to minimise the rotation of their bowlers.

  Wood took a wicket in each inning of the test at Trent Bridge, as Shoaib Bashir starred with figures of 5-41 to claim his third Test five-wicket haul. 

  Stokes emphasised that it is not difficult to continue to play their strongest team to allow bowlers an opportunity to shine. 

  "When you look at the guys we've got playing at the moment, with Woody being the standout because of how he bowls, it's very unlikely we'll get the remaining Tests out of him because of how hard it is on his body," said Stokes.

  "Even though we've got a decent break to the next series, fast bowling is very hard so naturally we may see a change in the bowling line-up. It's not required yet.

  "It's tough to not play, but for Pottsy and Dillon it's great for them to be in the squad."

  The West Indies have been forced into one change, with Gudakesh Motie replacing Kevin Sinclair who suffered a fracture after taking a blow from Mark Wood.

  Akeem Jordan, uncapped at Test level, has also been added to the squad as a precaution with Shamar Joseph currently suffering with flu. 

  "It's all about fighting," said West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite. "If we continue to create that sort of attitude around this team, there will be growth. That's what we're after."

  Following the conclusion of the final Test at Edgbaston, England will enjoy an almost month-long break before another three-Test series against Sri Lanka on home soil. 

• ‘Still a lot to play for’: Brathwaite adamant Windies can end series on high note as Test Champs points at stake

  Despite facing a challenging situation heading into the third Test against England, West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite remains resolute that his team can end the failed three-match series on a high note.

  After being trounced by an innings and 114 runs and 241 runs in the first two Tests, West Indies are determined to not only salvage pride by avoiding a whitewash but also gain valuable ICC Test Championship points in the Edgbaston contest, which starts on Friday.

  Brathwaite, known for his composed demeanor and steadfast leadership, emphasized the importance of efficient application from his team in this final contest.

  “We have five Tests remaining for the year and there are ICC Test Championship points still at stake. So we have a lot to play for and that's my thing to the boys. You know, we are still in the Test Championship running and, you know, obviously we're looking for points as well,” Brathwaite declared during a pre-game press conference.

  

  “It's very important that we fight. I mean, this is all about fighting, and I think once we continue to create that kind of attitude around this Test team, there will be growth and that's what we're after,” he added.

  Reflecting on the first two Tests, Brathwaite pointed to the positives that West Indies had some standout performances, particularly in the first innings of the second encounter in Trent Bridge, but in the same breath, he also highlighted the fact that his team has struggled to find consistency in all departments.

  In the first Test at Lord's, the Caribbean side was punished for a slew of dropped chances, while the first innings of the second Test saw Kavem Hodge score a maiden Test century, as Alick Athanaze and Joshua da Silva posted half-centuries in a total of 457. They were then bowled out for 143 in the second innings, against England’s scores of 416 and 425.

  “I think all around we haven’t put it (a decent performance) together as yet. Obviously, we batted well at Trent Bridge; we didn’t bat well in the second inning, and we bowled well in pieces. Obviously, drop chances would happen, but I think collectively, as a bowling unit, we didn’t perform as we should. I think once we get that percentage up, we'll be able to create more chances and at least be able to, you know, stop the flow of runs on both sides of the wicket,” Brathwaite reasoned.

  

  In order to achieve that, the Barbadian is well aware that they will have to learn from their mistakes and, by extension, improve significantly.

  “It was almost clear to see we had a 50-run opening stand in the second innings, and then from there, we lost ten wickets quite quickly, and we knew we were in the game, so it goes to show, I think we always have to be switched on. Not just for the first three days, because as soon as you lose that focus for an hour, you could be behind the test match and lose it,” Brathwaite said.

  “And it could be as a bowling unit or a batting unit, so we should learn from that. Obviously, the lesson is to never take anything for granted and always have the same attitude in both the first and second innings, batting and bowling. Once we keep that attitude of fighting every session, I think that will serve as well,” he noted.

  That said, Brathwaite explained that they are still yet to confirm the starting team, as Akeem Jordan was called up to replace Jeremiah Louis, while Gudakesh Motie is fit enough to retake his place in the team at the expense of Kevin Sinclair, who was injured after being hit by a Mark Wood delivery.

  “Sinclair is out with a fracture and Motie is back in. But we named a twelve because Shamar Joseph has a bit of a flu, so we are waiting until tomorrow morning to make the decision on the 11,” he shared.